Playlist
by AngelWing1138
Summary: Each of their lives had a playlist.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Music Meme --

**Rules**

1. Turn on your iTunes/iPod/MP3 player/other music program on shuffle.  
2. Write a short drabble pertaining to the song that comes on within the time the song runs for.  
3. Do as up to 10  
4. Post it!

* * *

Rebirthing

All around him was on fire. It scorched his skin, burned his throat, choking his lungs with intoxicating black smoke. He could barely breathe, yet he continued to run through the crackling flames.

Where _was_ she? He swore he had heard her in here…

Running into a doorway that was clear of flames, he looked around to see that the room was generally untouched by the violent storm of flickering red behind him. He glanced around, eyes narrowed before he noticed a huddle in the farthest corner.

"Marlene!"

He ran towards her then, crouching in front of her and grabbing onto her shoulders. She squeaked, looking up at him with wide brown eyes before lunging towards him. Her arms wrapped around him tightly, her face buried in his chest and he breathed a sigh of relief. He buried his nose in her hair then, wrapping his arms around her before helping her to her feet. "Denzel, I'm scared."

"I know, don't worry I've got you." He looked around, wrapping an arm protectively around the young girl. He looked at the doorway, seeing the flames coming closer and swearing. Damn it. That escape was out. He looked around then, seeing a window. "Come on, we're getting out through the window."

"Denzel…"

He turned to her and smiled. She stared at him with wide, worried eyes.

"Trust me."

Speeding Cars

God, she never wanted this to happen.

Running a hand down her face she threw the note to the side. Why did all the bad stuff happen to her? Looking around the room quickly, she walked towards the door. The phone rang then and she stopped, looking back at it. Answer it? Ignore it?

Frowning, she turned and picked it up, looking at the caller ID. What…?

"Cloud?"

"Tifa," his voice was faraway and static, but it was his. It was definitely his. "I've got a bit of a problem."

"What's wrong?" She asked, gripping the phone tighter. Don't let it be anything bad, she couldn't handle any more bad news…

"Nothing horrible, don't worry. It's just…I found this kid."

"…What?"

"Yeah, he was by my bike. He had my phone, but I think he passed out before he could use it." Tifa frowned, thinking of a time when she had found Cloud exactly like that, except by the train station with an overly large sword she recognized from her past life…

"Bring him over."

"Are you sure?"

Tifa smiled sadly, looking at the letter again that stated her worst nightmares about her recent health. "Yeah. Who knows? Maybe he'll be something like a miracle for me."

Gotta Be Someone

Okay, it was not right for someone to be this alone.

He fell to the ground in a huff, pouting and crossing his arms. What was _wrong_ with him? Did he smell? Have funny hair? Was there something in his teeth?

For the fifth time in a row, Zackary William Fair had been rejected by a pretty girl. He had simply asked if she wanted a coffee, and she just smiled and said 'no' before walking away. Did he ask the taken girls? Maan!

Stretching his arms above his head, he fell back onto the compound ground, staring at the murky sky. Well, it was pretty multicoloured today. He thought he saw some of the original blue in there. He shifted as he felt someone walking towards him, grinning as he recognized the footsteps. Chocobo!

"Zack," Cloud's voice spoke, and the young blonde sat next to the raven haired SOLDIER, looking at him curiously. "You alright?"

"Love has eluded me again, Cloud my boy," Zack said dramatically, sitting up and slinging an arm around his slim shoulders. "I think I'm ready to give up."

"You shouldn't," Cloud said, shaking his head. "You're just not looking in the right places is all."

"Think I should ask Aerith out?"

"I doubt she'd go for it. She and Tseng seem pretty…Serious."

"Damn."

A silence fell over them for a moment before Zack smiled. "Where should I look then?"

"…Maybe to your left."

Zack blinked, glancing over to his left to see Cloud sitting there. Cloud then leaned forward and kissed him. Zack's eyes widened before he grinned.

Ahhh...He had been looking in the wrong place.

Disco

The lights were flashing around them, causing luminescent colours to reflect off of his pale skin. He grinned, throwing his head back as he danced amongst the bodies around him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd really relaxed at all; probably before Meteor and everything.

Red hair pulled out of his hair tie, he ran his fingers through it before glancing around and catching the sight of a coy brunette winking before disappearing. Oohh, who was that now?

He weaved through the crowds, looking around before catching sight of her again dancing in the middle of the floor. She walked towards her then, and she beckoned him over with a smile and a wave of her hand. He walked over, placing a hand on her hip and she ran her fingers through his long hair.

"I've seen you a few times here."

"S'that so? Never seen you before," he murmured, aqua eyes looking at her sensually. She laughed, dragging his head down closer to hers, noses touching.

"Well then, I'll just have to fix that."

Inevitable

He remembered growing up with the two of them.

He had never been exactly the same as the other two, more separated than they were. They grew up together, having been friends since forever.

He'd grown up in the labs.

Yet as time went by he slowly started to open up to them. He started to learn how to smile and laugh and joke, and they accepted him with open arms as he learned. He loved growing up with them.

He wished that they could've been children forever.

He remembered walking into the room when they were kissing. He'd frozen, seeing them wrapped in each other's arms, lips locked and eyes closed. They didn't notice him. He slipped away.

He remembered feeling so much pain. He wanted to be little again, where they would hug him too and let him stay with them. Now, though…Now he couldn't be.

He remembered watching as Genesis left for his mission and didn't come back. Angeal had been so sad…He'd comforted Angeal, but he didn't try anything. He respected Genesis, even if he did break him apart.

When Angeal disappeared too, he didn't know what to feel. Both had left him. Angel had left him for Genesis. They had moved away from him again.

He sighed, shifting in his seat behind his desk and staring at the picture of the three of them as children, before slowly setting the picture face-down on the desk. He then laced his fingers together.

He would forget them. They had forgotten him, after all.

Kiss My Sass

She jumped onto the ground from the roof, standing up with a little bounce in her step as she grinned. She looked around then, before walking through the streets, beaming as people openly stared at her.

None of them knew her, but they now knew of her. Which was exactly what she wanted.

She ran into the middle of the street, where the monument stood tall, before she started to climb it, standing on the tippy-top and feeling like she was at the top of the world. People gathered around, some yelling at her to come down, others goading her to jump.

She laughed then, openly at them, before letting her arms stretch out. She then allowed herself to twirl and fall backwards to the ground, eyes watching the sky. It was an adventure; she wanted to see if she could land.

Before she could even try to spin-land, though, a cloak of red surrounded her and she was wrapped in warm, secure arms. She looked up to see a pale vampire face and smiled up at Vincent. He stared down at her with crimson eyes before he landed on the ground, people backing away from them quickly. He placed her down on the ground and she grinned, wrapping herself in his cloak. This was more dangerous than the falling from the monument.

"What's up Vinny?" She looked up at him to see him flushed and glaring. She grinned wickedly then, sticking her tongue out at him and his claw clinked. "You look hot today."

"…" He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. This was so very typically…

"Yuffie."

Life of a Soldier

She twisted the ribbon in her hands as she watched him walk away, frowning as he seemed to walk with a bounce. How could he still walk like that? He had been crying not ten minutes ago…

She sighed, shaking her head and walking back into her church, tying her ribbon into her hair as she went. She didn't understand that SOLDIER boy, she really didn't. He was always smiling, always trying to make her smile, yet she could see the cracked glass behind his violet eyes. She wanted to make _him_ smile, but he would have none of that.

He never let her do anything for him.

Sitting in front of her flowers, she sifted the soil, the dirt clinging to her skin and burying under her nails as she worked. The sun leaked into her little patch of heaven on earth, and the soothing actions calmed her.

Every day she worked on the garden, sifting the soil, pulling weeds and watering the flowers. Every day she'd wait for a letter, a call, a visit. So far, nothing.

Four years after he'd left, a young man walked into the building. He was dressed impeccably in a suit with long black hair and brown slanted eyes. She looked up, staring at him curiously as he tugged at his tie.

"Tseng…?"

He looked at her, sighing softly before producing a letter. He looked reluctant to give it to her.

"…I'm sorry Aerith," he muttered then. "He's KIA."

Pain

He sat in front of the sword, looking at the wear, tear and rust from years of neglect. He could see old blood stains, barely saw his reflection. He swore he saw an angry face as it charged towards battle flashing through the dull metal.

He frowned, looking away from the sword and looking instead at the ruined city of Midgar. He glared at it, reaching unconsciously to grip his left arm and winced as sharp pain bit through him. Flashes of green eyes, a cat's smile filled his vision and he stumbled to land on his side, breathing heavily. Damn it. He forgot about it already…

He removed his hand to see black ichor dripping from it, oozing from the scabbing on his arm. It was a dirty, viral disease, and no one knew how it spread to the populace. If allowed to spread to the brain, a violent attack would hit before the ichor would come out of the nose, ears, eyes and mouth.

He knew. He read about it.

"There is no cure," he muttered to the sword then, and he swore he heard a sigh of sadness emit through the air. "…There is no way for me to heal me, let alone that boy…"

_Don't give up_, he swore he heard. _Look harder_.

"…I don't want to." He sighed. "I want to die."

The wind died.

Sweet and Low

He watched as she ran through the flower fields, spinning around at top speed and falling into the dirt dizzily. He smiled, her scarred face stretching into something that looked content and not grotesque. He loved watching her dance through the flowers—it reminded him of a young woman he had known before.

He sighed, tightening a red ribbon a little tighter before glancing down to see the little girl run up to him, tugging on his vest. "Daddy, daddy! Come play with me! You have to come play, Daddy!"

"Nah, I'm too old to play. You dance for Daddy. He loves watchin' ya dance, y'know."

She smiled brightly, nodding, her brown hair bobbing before she started to dance through the flowers again and he watched. He shifted mechanical fingers, the soft metal something new and foreign, but he loved it. He loved having a hand instead of a gun. A gun made him feel like a monster…

Suddenly, he heard a cry out and he stood, running over to where Marlene fell. "Marlene baby doll, you alright?"

"Uh huh…" She sniffed, rubbing her scratched knee. Barrett leaned in front of her, looking at the scratch before he kissed it and she giggled. "Your beard tickles!"

"Does it?" He grinned, before he started to tickle her and she screamed in laughter.

He loved being able to be normal.

He loved being able to play with his daughter.

Funhouse

The halls looked warped and decayed as he walked down the old stairs. He could feel a chill in the air that wasn't from any sort of breeze, and he shuddered as he reached the dirty-floored bottom. He paused, looking around the basement level and saw from the corner of his eye a figure dressed in white. Spinning around he pulled out his gun, looking around before sighing. He was seeing things.

Walking down the hall, hand near his gun, he walked down familiar memories of pain. He heard a shot as he passed a dark stain on the ground; as he passed by a broken door he heard screaming of pain and agony. When he passed by chains he heard growls and snarls of a beast.

Pushing open an old metal door, he looked into the lab and saw flashes of a man in a suit floating in a tube of green liquid, head bowed and arms limp to his sides. He saw a woman by the computers and glanced over yet saw nothing there.

He sighed then, shaking his head and passing the lab of pain where he smelled blood and chemicals, entering the library. He stopped by the desk, seeing a man stooped over the desk scribbling findings and gritting his teeth. Pulling out a piece of Materia, Vincent placed it in a worn-out slot in his claw and held his arm out.

"Firaga."

The library burst into flame, papers crisping and shooting sky high. He turned and left, the fire trailing after him before he climbed the rickety stairs and exited the old mansion.

Vincent Valentine then turned to see his prison of fifty years burst into a ball of flame. And he smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I enjoyed the first one so much I've decided to make this into a bit of a series thing. I'll write a few of these at a time, ten to like, fifteen, and then I'll post them. It helps writing quickly and creatively, I think.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII Characters and Places belongs to Square Enix.

* * *

I Don't Care

Sitting in front of the fire, he contemplated the life he'd lived so far.

It had its ups and downs of course. There had been love, adventure, hate, death…But the most important part was love.

He loved her. He loved her so much it caused her to die in the end. To die and create a monstrosity…

And he was turned into a monster, too…Condemned to live.

His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into flesh and metal digging into leather. Looking at his mismatched hands, he felt disgust; bile rose in his mouth, making him feel sick.

He hated himself. He hated everything that this body stood for. Death. Destruction. Chaos.

He hated it all.

The phone rang, and he glanced at it, staring at it long and hard before looking away. Crimson eyes closed as he listened to the machine take the call, and he listened to the worried voices of a young girl for the fifth time in a row. Where are you? Are you screening your calls? Please talk to me.

No. He wouldn't. He couldn't. He didn't have the right.

He stared out the window then, a frown pulling at his pale lips. "What do I care if the others worry…I'm just an ancient monster." He closed his eyes, letting his head tip back.

"I'm the Beast…" He sighed then, opening his eyes and he saw a smiling woman in his vision, though she had died long ago.

"The Beast who killed his Beauty heartlessly."

Epic Last Song

He was running down the streets with everyone else, holding onto the young girl's hand and smiling like he never had before. Yesterday was gone; the pain suffering and the possession. Tomorrow was not yet here. Yet he was in today. He was with the others.

He was with her.

He looked over at the girl, watching as she smiled and held onto another girl's hand as they ran towards the church. She was so kind, so happy, so…beautiful.

He might've been ten, but even he could see Marlene's beauty.

They ran through the streets, ran the two miles to Midgar, entered Sector Six and came to the church. Marlene let go of the girl's hand, but continued to cling to his. He felt warm in his stomach when he thought of this. She wanted to hold onto him. He was that important to her.

He looked over at her and the others, smiling. _She_ had told them to come here. She was going to bring about a miracle. He could just feel it. He had never known her, but he knew of her.

He glanced at Marlene again to see her staring at the church with wide, excited brown eyes. He smiled, squeezing her hand and he glanced over at him with curious eyes. "You were friends with her, right?"

"I loved her very much," Marlene said, swinging their hands. "She was like my Momma…" He nodded; he knew how that felt, to adopt a woman in replacement to the old one.

She then smiled brightly again. "She may've died, but she's still with me! She's with me with you."

Denzel looked at her in shock then, before smiling slowly and squeezing her hand lightly.

"Thank you."

They then turned and walked together with everyone else into the church.

X Amount of Words

"Just lay back and relax. This won't hurt at all."

The man's voice smoothed over him like oil; slick, heavy and suffocating. He could barely breathe, his lungs struggling to expand to inhale. The bindings around his chest didn't help in any way.

He struggled against his bindings, eyes glowing mako green in rage. How _dare_ he test on humans, as if they were mere rats!

"Oh, now don't look at me like that, Specimen Z. It won't do you any good. If you don't behave you won't get a sweetie."

Zack snarled at the thought. He didn't want to know what sweeties where. Probably something disgusting. He looked around the lab, looking at a limp blonde floating in a tube of mako. His eyes widened at the state of his friend. No…Cloud. He looked paler than normal, almost green as if he were absorbing the green gunk he floated in. He struggled harder, before suddenly stopping as pain entered his neck. He cried out, eyes squeezed shut as burning acid was pushed into his veins, running through his bloodstream almost like mako but twenty times worse.

"Hmm….You don't seem to have a reaction to the Jenova cells. Perhaps because you have too much mako in your bloodstream…" Hojo's mutterings faded away as he walked to his library to write findings, leaving Zack on his own, shaking on the table naked.

He had to get out of there. _Cloud_ had to get out of there…

"I have to get us the hell out of here. We'll be killed if we don't escape…"

His speech slurred then as a lab assistant came in and unbound him, dragging him back to his tube next to Cloud's.

Everything then faded to black as he was tossed in.

A Stray Child

He stumbled across the rubble, dragging the metal pole behind him useless. He could barely feel his feet; his sight was going blurry from lack of sleep. He tripped over a piece of junk, collapsing over the debris of Sector Seven and looking over to see a decayed hand. Stomach lurching, he turned around and threw up the contents of his last meal, before pushing himself back up to his feet.

He continued to walk forward quietly, looking at his feet so he wouldn't trip over something again. Glancing up, he saw a still standing structure—a church. He glanced at a still standing tower, seeing that it said Sector Six, before he started walking towards it. He saw a pristine black motorcycle there, and stumbled towards it. Looking at it in an interesting all little boys had, he saw a cell phone. Eyes widening, he dropped his staff and ran to get it, flipping it open and dialling his house number. He then placed it at his ear.

Two rings later…

"We are sorry, but Sector Seven is currently offline. Please try again later."

Relight District

Smoke filled the room, heavy and scented of nicotine and perfume. Women of all ages, young and older, spun around poles, bent down at erotic poses and sat in the laps of suits. They all panted after the women they watched, watching as they span around the poles, did intricate dances that made them flash more than one body party, and staring after the lust-filled gazes.

Slowly the lights dimmed as midnight came closer, and the men all sat up as they knew what was coming up. The true show.

The lights turned red around the stage then, and the curtains opened to show a figure laid back on a couch, laying leisurely and staring at the men with half-hooded eyes. They had gentle, pouty lips, long, sensual legs and hands that made men want to kiss every finger as if they were the Queen. The person stood up then, showing a long, lank and willowy body, before strutting forwards. They stopped near the end of the catwalk, leaning forward and red hair fell forward as aqua eyes looked into the slanted eyes of a black haired Wutanese man.

"You're new, sweetie," he purred, sitting on the edge of the stage and crossing his legs slowly; a few men groaned at the sight. Reno smiled, throwing them a wave before turning to look at the Wutanese man. "What can I do for you?"

"Your name is Reno Sinclair?" The man asked. Reno raised his eyebrows, smiling and leaning back.

"How much you gonna pay for that information?"

"Do you want to leave this place?"

Reno froze, eyes widening before he grabbed onto the man's tie, pulling him forward. "Don't promise something you can't keep, else kitty'll get angry and scratch."

"I promise you freedom from this hellhole. My name is Tseng. I am part of an organization called the Turks—an organization made specifically for the purpose of reconnaissance, spying, and assassinations. I've been informed that you're very good at all three…Plus you're good at picking locks."

"Boy's gotta do something to pass the time," Reno said, eyes narrowing. "Other than getting fucked for fifty an hour. What's the catch?"

"No catch. You just serve under the ShinRa Power Company…and you stay loyal to them." Tseng raised a challenging eyebrow. "Can you do that?"

Reno looked at him, biting his lip unsurely for a moment before a wicked sharp smile graced his lips.

"Hell yes."

9 Crimes 

He stared into the pool of water beneath him, running his hands through it and remembering the last time he had entered the waters…Placing the body of the one woman he loved to her grave.

He sighed, closing his eyes and raising his face towards the sky, feeling a soft, warm breeze brush by him—almost like hands. He knew…He knew he couldn't think of her any longer. She was _gone_. Gone like so much in his life. He had to accept and move on…He just had to…

Looking over his shoulder, he saw someone walking towards him and he stood. He watched the person walk at a leisurely pace before stopping in front of him, standing there and watching him carefully. He smiled at the blonde.

"You alright, Elena?"

"Yes," she said, smiling and walking to him, taking hold of his hands and squeezing them. "I just got out of work. Tseng thinks I'm out with the girls."

"Are you saying I'm feminine?"

"You are pretty,"

The two blondes laughed, Cloud sadly and Elena nervously, before Cloud looked around.

"You weren't followed."

"I'm a Turk; what do you think?" He smiled, before leaning forward and kissing her gently. She kissed him back, sighing happily.

Neither noticed the watching slanted brown eyes from behind a tree, nor the presence of a young brunette woman shaking her head sadly.

Cloud then pulled back, smiling at Elena. Elena smiled back.

Neither said 'I love you'.

Phenomenon

He shifted gears in the plane, watching as the meters on the dashboard changed as the speed, acceleration and height changed. He grinned, lips holding a cigarette to his lips before he pushed the thrusters forward, jerking as the plane moved forwards.

He loved the feel of flying.

Setting the plane on cruise control, he let go of the wheel with one hand and fished around for a lighter, pulling it out of his pants' pocket and lighting the cigarette in his lips. He placed the lighter back, his hand going to the cigarette as he inhaled deeply, breathing out the smoky nicotine. "Ahhh," Cid Highwind murmured, grinning. "Good ol' addiction. Just need a cup o' tea, and I'm good to go."

He looked around, watching his crew going about his business. He then frowned; Shera wasn't with him. She usually made his tea.

His thoughts were broken as suddenly something hit the side of his plane and he looked over to see the one straggling weapon left in the world. His eyes narrowed at the beast, before grinning. "I'll get ya yet, ya beast!" He shouted, before he started to go after the creature.

It had been so long since he'd had some adventure.

To Zanarkand

The stars were sparkling so calmly that night.

Sitting on top of the cat slide in Sector Six, she stared at them and smiled, naming each one by its new name and then by the names that were forgotten. The ghost of children played around her, laughing and shouting and running in their games; the voices of the planet whispered to her, speaking of an evil that was coming, of a job she had to do. She listened intently to the familiar, warm tones of her mother when she listened to the whispers.

Opening her eyes, she watched as the stars were then covered by the roof that was actually above her, and the sound of children disappeared. She sighed.

Once again, Aerith had been brought back to reality.

Iris (Acoustic) 

She scrubbed at the bar counter, powerful forearms pressing into the wood to make it shine. She bit her bottom lip as she worked, listening to the kids upstairs running around, trying not to go to bed and Cloud running after them, trying to capture them to sleep. She smiled at the sounds, turning to look at them before sighing and shaking her head. Sometimes she wished it was a different person chasing the kids.

Sometimes she wished it was a man with silver hair and green cat eyes.

She frowned as she thought of him, remembering his warm eyes to his cold voice to merciless sword. Her hand rested on her chest where a scar marred the skin, before shaking her head and going back to scrubbing the counters. She needed to forget about him…He was dead. He was dead and evil and gone.

Arms wrapped around her then and she gasped, looking back not to see the blonde she'd been expecting, but to see the long silver she loved and missed. She stared at him with wide brown eyes, her breathing coming in gasps. "Sephi—"

"Shh," he placed a finger to his lips, kissing her cheek before smiling. "I can't stay. I just wanted to see you…" He paused. "And to beg for forgiveness…"

Tifa nodded mutely, and he smiled gently. He then looked back to see Cloud coming and leaned forward, kissing her.

"I love you."

What If We Could

"Sometimes I really hate being up here."

Aerith sighed as Zack pouted for the fifth time, watching Gaia below him. He watched as Tifa and Cloud fought; watched as Neo-Shinra grew into power; watched as the WRO brought a semblance of peace back to Midgar. They both watched as their friends grew, struggled, and grew more. Yuffie was getting married. Cid and Shera were having a baby. Vincent was finally seeing someone. Marlene was growing so much and Barrett was becoming increasingly protective while Denzel watched from afar…

"It's not like they need us," Aerith reminded him, smiling. Zack scowled.

"_He_ needs us, and I think that's what's really important. Aerith, he's been kicked out again. Could I please go down?"

"No!" Aerith turned and glared at him. "He's becoming dependant on us! He has to grow without us!" She sighed, softening her tone as Zack looked hurt. "I'm sorry sweetie, but he really does depend too much on us…"

"…I'm the reason he's in the mess he's in."

"So am I." Aerith sighed again, going to Zack and kneeling, wrapping her arms around him. "I wish we could just go down there and stay with him, guiding him through life so he can be happy…But we can't. You know we can't."

"I hate being dead."

Aerith sighed a third time, kissing the man's temple motheringly before dragging him to his feet, pulling him away from the view of Gaia. He followed obligingly.

"So do I."

Shattered

He felt a strange sense of weightlessness.

Staring around him, it was all greens and blues. He wondered briefly where he was, before realizing that he was dead. Sighing, he shook his head, sitting up and staring at nothing around him. That's all there was. Nothing.

Glancing to his left, he saw a few other people around that he didn't know. To his right a few children. Shifting, he sat there uncomfortably. How many of these people were here because of him?

A pair of feet appeared in his sight then and he glanced up to see a familiar, worn, but smiling face. Gillian leaned down and reached to her son, taking his strong hand and pulling him up with a strength Angeal never understood.

"Mother," he said, looking at her quietly. "…I'm sorry,"

She smiled, touching his cheek lovingly before shaking her head.

"It's fine dear." She then pointed behind them. "But we can't chat. You have a job to do."

"A job…?"

"Yes," she smiled. "You're a mentor, aren't you?"

Angeal looked at her wonderingly, before following her as she led him to a wall of white behind the blues and greens. She then pointed at it and he looked in, his eyes wide at what he saw.

A young man sat on a church floor in a young woman's arms, crying. "Why is he crying, Mother…?"

"Silly," Gillian shook her head again, looking at him with a gentle eye. "He's crying for his mentor and friend. You died…And he killed you. I would be crying too."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, what all mentors do," Gillian said, looking at the boy again with a soft, kind and pitying face.

"What's that…?"

"You know," she said, looking at him and smiling. He stared at her in confusion. "You must watch over him until he finally dies."

He stared at her, before looking back at the scene of Zack, nodding slowly.

"Of course…"

Opheliac

He flipped through the pages of the book for what seemed like the hundredth time; the pages were worn and torn in certain areas, stained in a few from his childhood readings. Smiling, he read the faded script and mouthed the words as he read them, knowing the play by heart. Seeing it live had been a treat for him when he had gone to Midgar as a child. Seeing it with Sephiroth was even better.

His thoughts turned to the silver haired Hero then, closing the book with a gentle snap. He looked up and stared through his window to see the General walking amongst his troops, fixing a few postures and speaking to a few commanders. He watched with intent eyes, expression hungry. The great, powerful Sephiroth. Posterboy of Shinra.

The General. The Hero.

His friend.

He shivered at the thought, grin widening as he stroked the book lovingly. Oh, to be that man's friend…It was too much. He loved it. He so very much loved it. He stood, boots clicking against the hardwood as he walked around his desk, ignoring files of important missions and information. He favoured staring at the silver haired god below him instead.

Sephiroth was perfection. He was the lone hero of the play Loveless. He was alone…And he was the hero.

Genesis grinned. Meaning that he would be the one to fight the hero.

No one knew the end of the play, as it was incomplete, yet he knew…He felt that he would win. He would be the winner of that great battle.

Sephiroth would be destroyed by Genesis. The thought made a pleasant warmth pool in Genesis' stomach and he leaned against the desk with a pleasant grin.

"Oh, how I cannot wait till the day we fight, Hero…" He murmured gently, eyes dilating for a moment as he stared at Sephiroth while he listened to a lower ranked soldier. He then looked over at his door when someone knocked, shifting and taking up his book again. Walking over to the door quickly, he opened it to show Angeal standing there, looking at the man worriedly.

"Are you alright, Genesis? You've been locked in here a lot."

"Oh, have I?" Genesis looked curious, before smiling and turning to stare at Sephiroth again. "Hmm…Well…" He laughed, pushing back hair. "I've never been better, Angeal."

Sorry

He stood against the wall, staring at the floor at his feet and listening as Tifa spoke about random things that had happened during his two year disappearance. He didn't want to speak; he was afraid he'd say something stupid.

Looking up, he noticed that Tifa was staring at him worriedly. He smiled slightly for her, trying to put her at ease and she smiled lightly at that, continuing to babble on about something that he didn't really hear. He then looked out the window, watching as Marlene and Denzel played with some children outside. He bit his lips, watching as Denzel laughed and willingly let others near him.

He sighed, closing his eyes and he felt a hand touch his arm. Glancing down he saw Tifa staring at him worriedly. "What's bothering you?"

"…" Cloud bit his lip before looking away from her. "Everything," he murmured gently, closing his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I abandoned you and the kids because I was being selfish. I thought…If I couldn't take care of myself, how could I take care of others?" He shook his head. "That was such a stupid thought."

"Well," Tifa said, smiling consolingly and squeezing his arm. He glanced at her again. "There's only one way for you to get over that."

"Oh?"

She smiled and nodded, pushing back some dark strands of her hair. He watched her anxiously.

"Apologize."

She then winked and walked back to the bar, letting him think.

Slow Me Down

She smiled, twirling around the room with the grace of a dancer. She had never taken lessons, and he had always thought that she should've. She was too old to now, though.

She jumped, spinning on the spot before suddenly she fell to the ground. She blinked, surprised, before she laughed and looked over at him with bright brown eyes. "Man, I'm so clumsy today!" The fifteen year old stood up, brushing off her skirt and smiling at him lightly. "Hey, Denzel, why don't you come join me? Dancing alone's no fun!"

"I think I'd like to watch," Denzel said, smiling. Marlene rolled her eyes at the seventeen year old, walking over and taking his hand, dragging him to the floor with her.

"Look, don't be like Dad. You'll never live properly if you don't take chances! Besides, I want you to dance with me." She smiled, looking at him with a dare to oppose him. Denzel sighed, blushing before smiling and letting her place his hand at her hip.

"Dance with me."

The Arrival

He stood at the centre of the ruins, looking up at the great tower that had once been the ShinRa Building. He frowned at the sight of the destruction, turning away from it and watching as men and women in black suits searched through the rubble of Shinra, looking for anything they could use to help rebuild ShinRa into what the President wished for it.

Swiping blonde hair from his face, he sighed tiredly and sat on the wheelchair he had pushed himself up from, lacing his fingers together in his lap as he watched the Turks wok diligently. He shifted, looking at the smoky sky again, wondering if Neo-ShinRa would be an improvement to the world. He wouldn't let them go so far as they had before, he knew that.

Rufus Shinra was, after all, no fool.

He crossed his legs then, leaning back in his chair as the heat continued to beat down onto the backs of the Turks. One stood and walked over to President Shinra, asking him if he wanted to be moved to shade. He shook his head.

"I will not be pampered this time. I will suffer with the rest of my company…"

Make This Go on Forever

The snow fell out gently, cold coming through the open window. He closed his eyes, tipping his head back and trying to get used to the chill. His homeland was warm, and it never snowed. He lived near the craggy rocks of the mountains and desert, keeping warm year long. Yet he kept pale as well. Strange.

Sighing, he adjusted his tie and looked around the room. An odd assortment was seated; the whore from Market Street Reno Sinclair stood next to the thug from Sector Seven, Rude. A man named Crisis sat next to a woman named Cissinei who looked lost and almost lonely. A few more people sat in comfort around where they were assorted on couches and chairs.

These were the best he could find in the area. Meaning they were the best anyone could ever ask for.

Tseng cleared his throat then, looking at them all as they all looked over at him. He suddenly felt nervous; Reno's aqua eyes stared at him suspiciously, Rude's eyes covered by shades even indoors. He straightened his tie again. "You all know why you're here,"

"You asked us," a man with black hair said, shifting in his seat. "Why else?"

"Hm," Tseng nodded, looking away from the man. Outspoken. Lovely. No respect. "We are also part of an elite group. Meaning that we are going to have to appear as one."

"Are you suggesting uniforms?" Reno asked then, raising an eyebrow. "I ain't got that kinda cash, yo."

"Uniforms will be paid for. You'll be responsible for keeping it clean." Tseng sighed, looking at them. "The President wishes for us to see uniformed. So we're going to dress the part, yes. We are also, however, going to have to create a code of behaviour." Reno snorted, Rude shifting uncomfortably and Tseng sighed.

He had a feeling that he was going to regret this one day…But at the moment, he was determined to create a family with this ragtag group.

He looked around again, hearing mumbling and cursing.

What had he gotten himself into…?

Aura

He listened to the woman's cries in the other room and sighed impatiently, hands folded behind his hunched back as he walked back and forth. Damned woman…Could she not give birth faster?

He listened as the doctor goaded his wife to push _harder_, and he wondered if this prolonged birth meant anything for the specimen…Frowning, he shook his head, turning to pace in front of the door again.

The door opened after a while, the doctor inside holding a bundle in his arms. Hojo looked ovber, dark eyes alighting with glee. He reached forward, taking the child from him and holding it close, looking down at soft silver hair and pale snowy skin. He grinned, nodding and turning towards the entrance to the basement. "Yes…I must go to Gast…"

"Hojo?" He heard his wife calling out, yet ignored her. "Where…where is he taking my child? Where is he taking my baby?"

"Miss Lucrecia, please relax…"

"I want my baby! Bring me back my baby!"

Hojo shut the door to the basement shut to shut off her screeching.

On My Own

He walked out of the house in a hurry, wrapping his jacket tighter around him as he turned down a crowded street in the slums. It was cold from the wind that came through the gutters of the upper plate, and he glared up at the plate above him as if it had personally offended him. He glanced back to the pit of a home he left behind, hearing a woman inside shrieking about something in an accent almost unidentifiable. He rolled aqua eyes, not caring about the woman.

Stopping at a crosswalk, he stared at the street, tightening his coat around him. He felt an itch behind his right eye, touching the forming bruise gingerly before shrugging it off. He didn't care. He didn't live there anymore as far as he was concerned.

Walking to Sector Six's train station, he got on after paying his fee and sitting on a seat, waiting for a moment before the rickety train started, circling up to the upper plate he hated.

He laced his fingers together, red hair falling over his shoulder in a long ponytail. He tried to force out the memories of his mother yelling at him for being an ingrate of a son. He didn't have to deal with that anymore. Reno frowned.

He was a damned Turk.

Foundations

She stood impatiently at the street corner, her foot tapping restlessly on the cobblestone. She frowned as she glared at the sky before looking over to see the person she was waiting for walking over. She sighed then, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "You're late!"

"I apologize," Tseng said smoothly, nodding to her. "Shall we be off?"

"You just gonna blow off the fact you almost stood me up?" Yuffie asked incredulously, eyes wide. Tseng sighed, shaking his head and taking her hand in his, dragging her down the street. "Oh come on! I'm insulted! I'm bitter! I'm pissed off!"

"You're being childish," he stated bluntly, looking at her. "Don't make me chastise you, Princess. You're a grown woman now, not a child. You cannot act like a child."

"I can act as I wanna," Yuffie muttered, pouting before linking her fingers with Tseng's. He pulled out of her grip then and she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I feel loved."

"You are loved," Tseng said sharply. "I just don't publicly show it."

"I'd like a little affection once in a while," Yuffie said bask harshly, glaring at him. He shook his head and she growled in frustration. "Stop treating me like a child! Damn it all, you said yourself I'm a woman. You can't say one thing and do another! You remind me of my father!"

Tseng froze and Yuffie bumped into his back, knowing she'd just done something wrong. She looked at him worriedly, biting her lip. "Tseng…?"

"You did not just say that."

She fell silent, looking away.

Tseng walked away.

Time of Dying

He stared at the sky motionlessly, rain spattering on his face, causing the blood to smear and run. He gasped a breath, closing his eyes and trying to focus on making his lungs expand and inhale, then contract and exhale. Inhale…Expand…Exhale…Contract…

He opened his eyes and stared at the sky again, wincing as the rain hit his face. His hand loosely held the sword at his side, blood pooling towards it and he winced again; Angeal would kill him.

Faintly, he heard someone crawling towards him, and he waited patiently for whoever it was. Cloud appeared at his side, and he smiled tiredly as he looked into the young face and confused, glazed eyes.

"For the…both of us…"

"Both…of us…" Ah, so he could speak. Zack smiled in hope. He hoped he could understand all this then.

"You're gonna…"

"You're…gonna…"

Zack slowly reached forward then, grabbing the back of the blonde's head and dragging him to his chest. He winced as his cheek pressed against three bleeding bullet holes. Man, they'd really emptied a mag on him. "Live…"

His hand dropped to the muddy ground and Cloud slowly lifted his head, blood smeared on silken white skin.

"You'll be…my living legacy…" He lifted his sword, holding it to Cloud.

"You're living…legacy…" Cloud slowly took hold of it as he continued to speak.

"My honour…My dreams…" He watched as Cloud looked at him, and he pushed the sword towards him. "They're yours now."

Cloud stared at him, Zack smiling as he closed his eyes.

Yet before he fully faded, he heard Cloud scream out in anguish to the rainy sky, and he felt his heart shudder to a stop.


End file.
